Emergency Planning & Safety

Emergencies hit schools at the most inopportune times. From severe weather, wild animals on the playground, active shooters, or the death of a student or staff member, emergencies take many forms. Being prepared with a plan that has been created by your school’s team and local partners, approved by your trustees, and practiced by your school community is vital to increasing student and staff safety. Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) provide guidance and practical solutions on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergency situations. This planning process helps schools minimize injuries and property damage during an incident, and expedites the recovery process following an incident.

Current Montana law regarding emergency planning in schools: MCA 20-1-401

NEW RESOURCE:

The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) Campus Resilience (CR) Program’s Exercise Starter Kits are self-conducted tabletop exercises (TTX) that provide school districts and schools with a set of scalable tools to develop a TTX that can be tailored to validate or update their existing emergency operations plans, policies, and procedures, while also identifying issues, gaps, and areas for improvement in response to an active shooter incident.

CCSSO School Safety Steering Committee

Superintendent Arntzen serves on the Council of Chief State School Officers' School Safety Steering Committee. Visit the Committee's website for the latest in national school safety work: https://ccsso.org/topics/school-safety